Masashi Itō
Masashi Itō (伊藤 正, 1921–2004) was a machine-gunner[1] and sergeant in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War. He was among the last hold-outs to surrender after the war ended.
War years and post-war survival[edit]
When the Americans liberated Guam in July 1944, Itō was separated from his unit.[1] He hid with two other soldiers and learned to survive in the jungle.[1] For sixteen years, he hid even after finding leaflets declaring that the war had ended.[2]
Surrender[edit]
When the last of his companions, Bunzō Minagawa (皆川文蔵), was captured by woodsmen in 1960, Itō was convinced to surrender on 23 May 1960 and was treated at a nearby American military base.[1][3]
Later life[edit]
Itō married on January 7, 1961,[2] and had a daughter. A movie was made about his life.[citation needed] He later worked as a watchman for the Toei Motion Picture Company in Tokyo.[2] He wrote a book about his experiences entitled The Emperor's Last Soldiers, published in 1967.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Books: Straggler's Ordeal". Time Magazine. July 14, 1967. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008.
- ^ a b c Kahn, E. J. (March 24, 1962). "II-The Stragglers:: Oh What a Miserable Life This Is!". The New Yorker. p. 47.
- ^ Trefalt, Beatrice (18 June 2004). Japanese Army stragglers and memories of the war in Japan, 1950–1975. ISBN 9780203480472.
